01 / AUTOMOTIVE HISTORY
Biography
Vladimir Sergeyevich Solovyov was born on 16 February 1919 in Vetluga, then part of Nizhny Novgorod Governorate. His family soon moved to Nizhny Novgorod.
His father held an important position at the automobile plant and owned a GAZ-A, a rare privilege at the time. Vladimir did most of the maintenance and usually drove it. During the war, this first car of Vladimir’s was requisitioned for the army.
After leaving school in 1936, Solovyov entered the Nizhny Novgorod Industrial Institute, later renamed the Gorky Industrial Institute. In 1941, he graduated with honours in automobiles.
Then war broke out…
He became a designer in GAZ’s Design and Experimental Department, KEO GAZ, where he worked for roughly twenty-five years before moving to VAZ.
His achievements were impressive. He helped develop the T-70 tank’s transmission, designing its final drives and steering clutches. The tank entered army service in January 1942. He also designed planetary gearing for the SU-76M self-propelled gun, which entered series production in the summer of 1943.
From 1942, he was a lead designer at KEO GAZ.
He was the first in the USSR to use rubber oil seals of his own design throughout a car’s assemblies. This improved sealing reliability and saved the leather previously used for seals.
He also pioneered a hypoid axle for the ZIM, GAZ-12, steel components with anti-scuff phosphate coatings and, with F. S. Korotkov, oil for hypoid gears. He designed propeller shafts and rear axles for the GAZ-69 and M-20 Pobeda.
He also designed transmissions for the GAZ-67B.
In 1953, he became head of the passenger-car design bureau, effectively the company’s second-ranking figure — a considerable achievement at thirty-four. From 1965, he was chief designer for passenger cars. The GAZ-21 and GAZ-24 Volgas, GAZ-13 Chaika and GAZ-12 ZIM were developed under his leadership.
In October 1966, he became chief designer of the new Volga Automobile Plant, now known as VAZ. Under his direction, it produced the VAZ-2101, based on the FIAT-124, along with the 21011, 2102, 2103 and 2106. He also supervised development of the Oka prototype, model 1101.
One of his greatest achievements was the four-wheel-drive VAZ-2121 Niva.
In 1971, he proposed an original idea: an amphibious passenger car, the VAZ-2122.
His honours included the Order of the Red Banner of Labour, the Order of the October Revolution, the Medal for Victory over Germany in the Great Patriotic War and VDNKh exhibition medals.